Lubricating device



April 17, 1934. R. c. KENDALL LUBRICATING DEVICE Filed April 17, 193s[Jill/111114 [III/lll VIII/lll I+. IT. d,

2 ,v7-FF 217 52 Z6 265 Patented Apr. 17, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT @FFME8 Claims.

This invention relates to lubricating devices and is in the nature of animprovement upon the lubricating device shown and described in my priorvPatent No. 1,898,188, dated February 21, 1933,

to which reference is hereinafter made.

One object of the present invention is to provide means whereby the oilapplying element of the lubricator may automatically adjust itself andcenter itself with respect to the axle. Another object is to providemeans whereby the oil applying element may be easily attached to anddetached from its support. Another object is to simplify theconstruction of the device and to otherwise improve on the partsthereof, whereby to simplify the work of assembling of the same. Otherobjects and advantages will appear in the following specification andwith said objects and advantages in View, this invention consists in theseveral novel features of construction, arrangement and combination ofparts, hereinafter fully described and claimed.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the drawing accompanying thisspecification in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical cross-section through a r journal box andillustrating a simple embodiment of the present lubricating device inend elevation;

Fig. 2 is a detail vertical cross-section of the lubricating devicetaken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a detail View partly in plan and partly in horizontal sectiontaken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4.- is a detail horizontal section taken on line 4--4 of Fig. 2;and

Fig. 5 is a fragmental side elevation of the device showing the Wickpartly Withdrawn from its holder.

Referring to said drawing, which illustrates a simple embodiment of theinvention, the reference character 9 designates a railway journal box ofconventional form, in which is journaled a car ame 10. As is customary,shoulders 11, 12 are formed on the axle at the ends of the part 13 uponwhich the bearing brass 14 rests. A well 15 is contained in the journalbox to receive oil or other lubricant which is to be supplied to thebearing. Considerable longitudinal play of the axle, with respect to thebearing brass, is occasioned during the movement of a car and thislongitudinal movement is likely to become more extended as the shouldersand adjacent ends of the bearing brass are worn away or machined becauseof Wear. Consequently the position of the axle in the journal box shiftsback and forth therein and one of the objects of this invention is toprovide means whereby the oil applying wick or pad of the lubricator mayremain centered with respect to the shoulders of the axle.

The lubricating device is bolted to or otherwise rigidly secured to anupright side wall of the journal box disposed at one side of the axle.In its present form the lubricating device has a supporting bar 16 whichis provided with an offset portion 18 that is bolted to the side wall ofthe journal box by bolts 17. The main part of the supporting bar istherefore spaced somewhat away (35 from the side wall.

Slidably mounted on the main part of the supporting bar is a slidemember 19, desirably formed of a bent up metal strip which furnishes asliding connection for the wick holder 20 and for a spring 70 2l. Theslide member 19 has two offset parts 22 which extend along one side ofthe supporting bar, whereas the parts 23 extend along the other side ofthe bar. Slots 24 are formed in the transverse parts 25 of the slidemember to receive the supporting bar 16. The extremity of the bar isbent or otherwise deformed, as seen at 26 to prevent accidentaldisconnection between the bar and slide member. It will be obvious thatthe slide member may be readily adjusted along the length of thesupporting bar.

The supporting bar and offset parts 22 of the slide member provide slots27 in which two links 23 are pivotally and slidably mounted, the otherends of the links being pivotally connected to the wick holder 20.

The spring 21, preferably in the form of a flat spring, is secured tothe slide member by a rivet 30 or the like and its ends bear against thewick holder and serve to yieldably press the latter to- 9 ward the axleand thereby hold the upper end of the wick 3l against the face of thepart 13 of the axle. The slotted connections between the supporting barand the links permit of a limited amount of end play of the wick holdertogether with the wick and also permit the latter to tilt and thusadjust itself to the axle despite any misalignment thereof that mayoccui` during the travel of the car over a road bed.

Desirably the wick holder is composed of a wick holding bar 32 and areinforcement bar 33 riveted or spotwelded thereto. The reinforcementbar is struck up with two U bends 34, which together with the wickholding bar provide eyes or loops in Which the links are held. The eyesare spaced farther apart than the outer ends of the slots 27 so that thelinks always incline toward each other, thereby permitting the wickholder to tilt with respect to the supporting bar. De-

sirably the reinforcement bar is struck up with a rib 35 to give itstrength and rigidity.

The wick holding bar 32 is preferably formed of a strip of sheet metalwith its side edges 36 folded over to provide a groove or slideway 37having the overhanging edges 36. The wick 31 as in my prior patent,comprises a relatively thick pad-like structure formed of sewed togethercotton rovings, with one end doubled upon itself as at 39. A pliablestrip c-f metal 40 slightly longer than the width of the wick, issecured to one side cf the doubled edge portion by wire staples 41 orthe like. 'Ihe metal strip is capable of being slid into the groove orslideway 37, whereby to attach the wick to the wick holder, and tofasten the wick in place on the Wick holder, the ends 42 of the strip 40are bent around the ends of the flanges 36 and around the side edges ofthe wick.

From the above it is readily apparent that the several parts may bereadily assembled, and installed in place in a journal box. By reason ofthe sliding connection between the slide member 19 and the supportingbar, the slide member and therewith the wick holder and wick have a widelatitude of adjustment along the supporting bar. As a result it is notnecessary to locate the supporting bar at any precise place on theupright wall of the journal box, because the slide member can be readilyadjusted along the supporting bar to bring the wick between theshoulders on the axle so that it will always be pressed against the partof the axle between the shoulders and apply the lubricant thereto. Anyordinary endwise shifting of the axle in the journal box will be takencare of by the links sliding in the slots between the offset portions ofthe slide member and supporting bar, and when any extraordinary endwisemovement of the axle in the journal box occurs, the shoulder on the axlewill shift the wick and therewith the wick holder and slide member alongthe supporting bar so that at all times the wick remains in contact withthe axle at the place between the shoulders thereof.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l. A lubricating device comprising a supporting bar, a slide memberslidably mounted thereon, a wick holder having sliding and tiltableconnections with said supporting bar and slide member, the latter beingarranged to retain said connections upon the supporting bar, resilientmeans interposed between said slide member and the wick holder, and awick carried by the wick holder.

2. A lubricating device comprising a supporting bar, a slide memberslidably mounted thereon, said slide member having offset portionsco-operating with the supporting bar to provide slots, a wick holder,links pivotally connected to the wick holder and pivotally and slidablymounted in said slots, resilient means carried by said slide member andpressing against said wick holder, and a wick carried by said wickholder.

3. A lubricating device comprising a supporting bar, a slide memberformed with offset portions slidably mounted thereon, a wick holderspring pressed away from said supporting bar, swingable links sliding inslots between said supporting bar and the offset portions of the slidemember and pivotally connected to the wick holder, and a wick carried bysaid wick holder.

4. A lubricating device comprising a supporting bar, a slide memberhaving offset portions slidably mounted on said supporting bar, means toretain said slide member upon the supporting bar, a wick holder,slidable and tiltable connections between said wick holder andsupporting bar movably mounted between the supporting bar and offsetportions of the slide member, a spring between the wick holder andsupporting bar and a wick carried by said Wick holder.

5. A lubricating device comprising a supporting bar, a slotted slidemember having two offset portions, the supporting bar extending throughthe slots of the slide member, a wick holder, two links pivotallyconnected to the wick holder and slidably and pivotally mounted betweenthe supporting bar and onset portions of the slide member, a bowedspring secured to the slide member with its ends pressing against thewick holder, and a wick carried by the wick holder.

6. In a lubricating device, a spring pressed wick holder having a groovetherein provided with overhanging edges, a wick, and an attachmentstrip, secured to one face of the wick and slidably mounted in saidgroove.

'7. In a lubricating device, a spring pressed wick holder having agroove therein provided with overhanging edges, a wick, and anattachment strip secured to the wick and insertable into the groove inthe wick holder, the attachment strip having bendable extremities bentaround the ends of the Wick.

8. In a lubricating device, a spring pressed wick holder having a groovetherein provided with overhanging edges, a wick, and a pliable metalattachment strip stapled to one side of the wick and insertable into thegroove in the wick holder, said strip having bendable extremitiesadapted to engage the extremities of the wick holder to secure the wickthereon.

ROBERT C. KENDALL.

